32 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 8, 1886. 
of 14 inches long by 4 j inches wide can be cut, and again a 
width of 2J inches will remain, and this will form the 
permanent end, one of the other ends being used as the loose 
shutter. These pieces may now be nailed together, the 
16-inch sides being nailed outside the ends in order to give a 
15-inch inside measure, when nothing will be wanting to 
complete the rack but two other strips of 1J inch each, and 
these must be cut from the other end of the board, and some 
pieces to fit in between each strip in order to keep all snug 
and warm, and prevent the egress of the bees from the rack. 
The whole is now complete, but I may add that in cutting 
these pieces the same end of the board must be used as the 
two last mentioned Btrips were cut from, and the other end 
must be cut in the manner first described. Each strip to be 
placed not more than 4 inches apart, so that the sections will 
stand firmly and not be liable to fall through and so cause 
trouble. If separators are used—and they are not desirable 
only but necessary—they will if the same width as the 
sections rest on the strips, but if it is preferred to have rather 
narrower separators, to leave more room for the bees, strips 
of wood of height sufficient to raise the separators—which 
will be cut to make a like space at the top—so as to leave the 
desired room, can be laid along the sides of the racks, and 
they will thus easily be maintained in position. No separator 
will be required for the outer side of the three extreme sec¬ 
tions, the glass answering the purpose quite as well, and the 
sight is therefore not obstructed. 
If from these direct ons any bee-keepers are enabled to 
make at home racks which they had intended to purchase 
my desire will have been attained, for knowing the great 
necessity for economy in appliances I cannot but regard a 
saving of 10s. 6d. per stock as most desirable, and if a like 
economy was practised in every department of the apiary less 
would be heard of decreasing profits and more of substantial 
benefits arising from bee-keeping. —Felix. 
PREPARING FOR NEXT YEAR. 
ALTHOUGH the honey season is only commencing with us it is our 
greatest care about haying everything arranged for the best for another 
year. The temperature, particularly during the night, has been by far too 
low to justify any manipulation on our part beyond adding supers. For 
about a week past the night temperature in many places has been as low 
as 32°. With us, in a rather sheltered situation, it has been so low as 36°, 
and for the most part of a week during the day 55°, with a strong dry 
wind, unpleasant and unfavourable to vegetation ; consequently bad for 
bees, and not suitable for meddling with them. I will, however, now 
commence queen-rearing. As the season is and has been backward, I 
will form each nucleus from two combs of brood and bees. Each comb 
shall contain a royal cell from a choice queen, but tbe other comb shall 
be taken from another hive that shall have bred many drones, so that 
there shall be no sanguinity of blood between the drones and the young 
princesses, which shall, however, have been nearly matured in tbe old and 
populous hive before forming into nuclei. Then these shall be removed to 
a distance free from the influence of other drones. 
Syrians shall be bred and kept at home for use during August, when 
the other drones are either slaughtered or at the Heather. The same care 
will be taken with these to have drones from an alien stock. 
I am anxious to give these Syrians a trial to see if acclimatisation by 
breeding a time here will not make them hardier during winter, tender¬ 
ness beiDg a great drawback to these otherwise pretty, prolific, and good 
honey-gathering bees. Spiteful they are, but it is probable if they can 
he acclimatised they may become milder in temper. 
The bees of pure queens crossed are while I am writing (28th J une) 
busy filling their supers with comb. When other hives are comparatively 
idle, Carniolians excep'ed, these, as usual, are equally bu-y. 
My main object is to get first a sufficient number of nuclei with fer¬ 
tilised queen. Immediately they commence laying I will begin and feed. 
When the young bees begin to appear I will extend the hive gradually 
with full-sheeted frames of comb foundation. By the time the bees cover 
four frames or so the hives that were at the Heather will be home. Each 
nucleus will get its hive filled with provisioned combs from the Heather 
hives, and if need be their bees, after iheir queens have been killed, will 
be joined to the nuclei. I will allow them to stand a few days unmolested, 
keeping a strict watch over their movements ; therefore I will examine 
every one. If the brood i f any are abnormal,or if any of the queens have 
a ragged wing or minus a foot, they will at once be killed. Mutilated 
queens, either by clipp ng the wings or any accident whatever, are doomed 
to destruction sooner or later by the bees, so nothing but perfect and 
healthy queens will be kept. After thus final examination I will cover up 
thoroughly, particularly above, with porous material, and interfere no 
more with them till April or May. Last year I had a number of queens 
more than was necessary for my own use, some of which I presented to 
bee-keepers in want of queens and anxious to have a trial of the foreign 
varieties. Four of these surplus ones I kept, and although the bees barely 
covered one frame in August they are now full strength and have their 
first cover of supers, which they are rapidly filling with comb. 
It is only queer.s older than one year that I have any trouble with, 
either with swarming when not wanted or dying at a time during spring 
when the loss is irreparable. Every year convinces me more and more 
of this, and it shall only be imported queens that I shall attempt to keep 
more than one year ; but I shall do my utmost to get the benefit of their 
full egg-layiDg power the first year. It is the only sensible and profitable 
way of doing, and the easiest way of marking the queens to know their 
age. It is not only advisable to reduce the outlay and annoyance of 
having superfluous and unnecessary appliances, but to reduce the labour 
in marking, anxiety, and risk with old queens. 
The position of the bees in the hive and where located is an important 
matter for the proper wintering of bees. I should be very glad to hear 
the opinion of your other correspondents upon this very important 
point. 
It is the well wintering of bees that success in summer is to be looked 
for. Failing good wintering means failure throughout the year. What I 
have to say upon this matter will be held over for another paper, but shall 
be glad to hear the opinions of others.— A Lanarkshire Bee-keepeb. 
%* All correspondeuce should be directed either to “ The Editor ” 
or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. Hogg or 
members of the staff often remain unopened unavoidably. 4Ve 
request that no one will write privately to any of our correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subj'ects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS.—We desire to assure those of our corre¬ 
spondents whose letters and communications are not promptly 
inserted that they are not the less appreciated on that account. 
Our pages are practically filled several days prior to publication, 
and letters arriving on Wednesday morning, except by special 
arrangement, are invariaoly too late for insertion. The delay in 
the publication of some of these is not of material importance, 
but reports of meetings and shows held a week previously lose 
much or all of their value if not received in time to appear 
in the current issue. 
Goldfish in Pond (Mrs. Brown). —After puddling the sides of ponds they 
are lined with shells, tiles, or stones, to prevent the fish destroying the 
banks and making the water muddy. We do not know of any better 
remedy, but if any of our readers do we will readily publish it if particulars 
are forwarded for that purpose. 
Ice Houses (It. P.).—We cannot give tbe requisite particulars this week, 
but will endeavour to do so in our next issue. Mr. Ward stated in this 
Journal last December (page 534) that though there is an excellent ice house 
at Longford Castle he found an outside ice rick answer his purpose, as it gave 
a supply of ice for sixteen months. Still, your employer may prefer a house, 
and in such a complete and well appointed establishment as his it should 
be a very good one. The subject shall have further attention. 
Solanums not Fruiting (.4 Subscriber). —Assuming your plants are 
judiciously watered, we can only suggest that you give them more air. 
You say you give them “ plenty,” but we doubt if that is so. They Bhould 
not be “shut up at night” during such weather as this, but the lights 
should be drawn off and tbe dews would benefit the plants. They set their 
fruit very well planted out or plunged in a warm border and properly 
watered. The soil in the pots should be quite firm. 
Bertolonias (Rosa). —We expect your plants received a slight check in 
transit. They require close confined treatment, such as yon appear to be 
giving them, but if they display signs of damping you must admit a little 
more air. It is a good plan after a very hot day to lift off the light, re¬ 
placing it again in the morning ; the drier atmosphere of the house dining 
the day does not suit them. Your de j miption of the white-flowering stove 
plant is insufficient to enable us to give the name. If you forwaid us a 
flower we may be able to do so. 
Thrips on Vines (A Constant Subscriber). —You may safely fumigate 
the house the Grapes in which are changing colour, being careful to deliv r 
the smoke cool, and not to give an overdose. It will be necessary to fumi¬ 
gate on two or three consecutive evenings, and in bad cases repeat in the 
course of a week or ten day*, as no amount of smoke will destroy thrips’ 
eggs, and as they hatch out they must be destroyed ; therefore keep a sharp 
look out, and fumigate whenever an insect is seen. In the, ease of the later 
house it will be necessary to proceed very cautiously, a-' keeping the house 
close for fumigation is likely to injure the crop, the Grapes being in that 
condition when mo*t likely to scald ; therefore in fumigating admit air in 
the early part of the following day, so as to dissipate any accumulated 
moisture before or by the time the sun falls powerfully upon the house. 
Cucumbers without Ventilation (J. TV. C.). —Mr. Whittaker grows the 
whole of his Cucumbers without ventilation, and nearly all the Frescot 
growers follow the same pi actice. They find the after, oon sun the most 
